New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 and AMRUT 2.0, which is designed to make all the cities ‘Garbage Free’ and ‘Water Secure'.

Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri at the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, said, 'Swachh Bharat Mission has succeeded not only because of lakhs of toilets or bringing waste processing to 70 per cent but also because PM Modi made this project into a 'Jan Andolan'. 

'The aim of Swach Bharat Mission 2.0', PM Modi said, 'is to make the cities garbage-free. With this 2nd phase, we also aim at sewage and safety management, making cities water-secure and ensuring that dirty nullahs don't merge into rivers.'

The PM dedicated the  second phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission to Dr. BR Ambedkar. "This 2nd phase of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 and AMRUT 2.0 is also an important step in fulfilling the dreams of BR Ambedkar. It's our privilege that today's program has been organised at BR Ambedkar Center. He believed that urban development was pivotal to equality, " he said. 

"Toffee wrappers are no more thrown on floors but kept in pockets. Kids alert elders not to litter around. The youth are taking initiative. Some are earning wealth from waste, while some are creating awareness. There is segregation of dry and wet waste, there's awareness."

"Today India is processing about 1 lakh tonnes of waste every day. When we started the campaign in 2014, less than 20% of the waste was being processed. Today we are processing about 70 per cent of daily waste. Now we have to take it to 100%. The garbage mountains in cities will be processed and removed completely as part of Swachta second phase. One such garbage mountain has been in Delhi for a long, it's also waiting to be removed..."

( More details to follow)